Pipe-cleaning machine.



0. L. JOBB. PIPE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.22,1B09.

Patented Mar. 15,1910.

UNID STATES AENT @I FIIJlE.

CHARLES L. JOBB, OF THREE RIVERS, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOB. OFTHREE-FOURTHS TO WILLIS C. SVI'IFT, OF HINSIDALE, ILLINOIS.

PIPE-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

Application filed March 22, 1909. Serial No. 484,951.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. Jone, a subject of the King of England,residing at Three Rivers, Province of Quebec, Canada, have made acertain new and useful. Invention in Pipe-Cleaning Machines, ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe cleaning machines.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simplein construction, and efficient in operation whereby cast pipes may bequickly and easily cleaned.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

The single view of the accompanying drawing shows a pipe cleaningmachine embodying the principles of my invention.

In the manufacture of cast iron water, gas and other pipes, asordinarily and commonly carried out, it is necessary to clean the pipesof particles or patches of burned sand which adhere to the pipes whenremoved after being cast in the sand molds.

This cleaning operation is usually accomplished by hand with hammers,scrapers or other suitable manually operated tools. 7 The castpipes aretaken out of the molds while still at a red heat but after having cooledsufliciently to retain their shape when laid on the skids to be rolledaway to be cleaned. The operation of cleaning the hot pipes is not onlyslow, tedious and expensive but is very disagreeable, requiring a greatdeal of scraping, hammering and rubbing, both inside and outside, toremove the particles or patches of adhering burned sand from the pipepreparatory to dipping the same in hot tar. Usually, on account of thedisagreeable character of this work the pipes are permitted to coolbefore the cleaning {operation begins. After the cleaning is completedthe pipes are again heated to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit and thendipped into hot tar. By this method the operation is expensive inaddition to being laborious, tedious and disagreeable, since itnecessitates a reheating of the pipes for the dipping operation, afterbeing cleaned.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide amachine of simple construction whereby the cleaning of the pipes may beaccomplished by power actuated devices, thereby avoiding the necessityof manual cleaning. I also propose to provide means whereby the pipesmay be expeditiously and etiiciently cleaned while still hot from thecasting operation whereby, after cleaning, they may be dipped in hot tarwithout requiring any reheating, thereby saving labor and the extrahandling of the pipes and also saving the. expense of fuel for thereheating operation.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in the drawing I employ asuitable framework including upright standards 1, 2, between which thepipes are designed to pass immediately after being removed from themolds and while still in a highly heated condition. Positioned betweenthe standards are rollers 3, +l, on which the heated pipes are received,these supporting rollers being so disposed that when a pipe reststhereon it is supported in horizontal position. These rollers arepreferably rotated so as to impart an axial rotation to the pipe. Therollers may be rotated or driven in any suitable manner, as, forinstance, by being mounted on a shaft 5, which receives rotation fromany convenient source. I have shown a shaft (3, journaled in bearingsformed on or carried by the standard 1, and adapted to be driven bymeans of a pulley, indicated in dotted lines at 7, said shaft beingsuitably geared to the shaft 5, as, for instance through the gearing 8,9. Shaft- (3, carries also a grooved pulley 10. A similar andcooperating pulley 11, is also carried by a shaft 12, journaled in aswinging beam 13, suspended from the frame work, on the other side ofthe skid or way along which the pipe designed to be rolled. A cleaningchain 1%, operates around the pulleys 10, 11. The swinging beam 13, maybe rocked or swung to any desired extent and held in position to affordany desired degree of slack in the cleaning chain. This may beaccomplished in many different ways. I have shown a pawl andratchetdevice 15, carried by the standard 2, for accomplishing thedesired object, said pawl and ratchet device being actuated by a crankhandle 16, and operating to take up or pay out a cord or otherconnection 17 attached to the beam 13.

In practice one leg or run of the cleaning chain operates longitudinallythrough the pipe, while the pulleys 10, 11, are held in such relativedegrees of separation as to cause the other leg or run of the chain torest upon the exterior surface of the pipe throughout the length of thelatter, with more or less looseness as may be desired. Thus the lowerleg or run of the cleaning chain which passes longitudinally through thepipe is maintained more or less taut, as shown, while the upper leg orrun is main taincd more or less slack. The chain being driven by therotation of pulley 10, elliciently cleans the pipe, both inside and out,during the axial rotations of the latter, and while the pipe is still ina highly heated condition as it comes from the mold, and withoutrequiring any manual cleaning operation or extra handling. After beingcleaned, and while still sutliciently hot from the casting operation thepipe may be dipped in the hot tar preparation thereby not only savingextra handling but also the expense of reheating.

Any suitable means may be employed for passing one leg or run of thechain through the pipe. I have shown a simple arrangement wherein thechain at some convenient point in its length is provided with adetachable link 20. A plunger bar 21, is mounted in a long cylinder 22suitably supported in line with the length of the pipe as it is broughtfrom the mold into position to be cleaned. This plunger bar has a hook23, at its end, and, when actuated, this hooked end of the plunger baris thrust longitudinally through the/pipe and engages the do tached endof the cleaning chain and on its return stroke draws the chain throughthe pipe where it is again hooked onto the other detached end to form anendless chain again. The plunger bar may be actuated in any suitablemanner as, for instance by compressed air, water, steam or the likesupplied through pipes 25, and controlled by a valve 26.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from theforegoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

lVhile I have shown and described one form of construction andarrangement for accomplishing my objects and purposes, and the best formin which I at present contemplate carrying my invention into practicaloperation, I desire it to be understood that my invention as defined inthe claims is not to be limited or restricted to the exact details shownand described.

What I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pipe cleaning machine, a cleaning chain arranged to pass looselylongitudinally through the pipe to be cleaned to enable the links of thechain to exert a pounding action on the surface of the pipe, incombination with means for actuating said chain, and means for axiallyrotating the pipe.

2. The combination with an endless chain having one leg or run thereofarranged to pass longitudinally through the pipe to be cleaned, meansfor actuating said chain, and means for simultaneously rotating thepipe.

3. The combination with an endless chain, pulleys over which the chainoperates, one leg or run of said chain arranged to pass longitudinallythrough the pipe and the other leg or run resting loosely on theexterior surface of the pipe, means for driving one of said pulleys andmeans for axially rotating said pipe.

4. The combination with supporting rollers upon which a pipe may rest,and means for rotating said rollers to impart axial rotation to thepipe, of a cleaning chain passing longitudinally through the pipe andmeans for actuating said chain.

5. A support for a pipe in combination with pulleys supported adjacentthe ends of the pipe, a cleaning chain operating loosely over saidpulleys and having one leg or run thereof arranged to passlongitudinally through the pipe, whereby the links of the chain arepermitted to pound against the surface of the pipe, means for varyingthe degree of separation of said pulleys to vary the degree of slack inthe chain, and means for operating said chain.

6. A frame work including a standard, a beam suspended from theframework, pulleys respectively mounted on said standard and beam, apipe support arranged between said standard and beam, a cleaning chainhaving a leg arranged to extend longitudinally through a pipe carried bysaid support, means swinging said beam, and means for actuating saidchain.

7. The combination of a pipe-support, pulleys arranged on opposite sidesof said pipe support, a chain operating loosely over said pulleys, saidchain having a detachable link, a plunger bar arranged adjacent one sideof said pipe support, means for actuating the plunger bar to project thesame longitudinally through a pipe carried by said support, and meansfor operating the chain.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses, on this eleventh day of March A. 1)., 1909.

CHAS. L. J 01313.

WVitnesses H. G. FRENCH, J. E. DAVIES.

